The Red Wolf's Ghost
by LadyCassie
Summary: They tell tales of the red wolf's ghost, how her body was found laying underneath the god's tree in kings landing. They say she appeared to be sleeping, but when the guards went to touch her, she was as cold as winter. There are whispers that the old Gods came to claim the wolf who had wandered too far from home.


They tell tales of the red wolf's ghost, how her body was found lying beneath the god's tree in Kings landing. They say she appeared to be sleeping, but when the guards went to touch her, she was as cold as winter. There are whispers that the Old Gods came to claim the wolf who had wandered too far from home.

The Queen dismisses these whispers, stating that "What God would willingly help a girl? And she was no wolf."

The Hound as he's known is the one to find her. He thinks that she's sleeping, but he quickly realizes that that is not the case. She looks to be almost a part of the tree. Her red hair the same color as the leaves that hang above her, her skin the same shade of white as the bark she leans back against. Somehow, the roots of the tree have come up to wrap around her. It appears to be embracing her, shielding her from harm.

Sandor has never believed in the Gods, but how can you deny them when the body of the girl is clearly there on the ground and yet he can see her sitting up high in the tree. Her bare feet swinging as she gazes down at him and sitting next to her is her little wolf, the one he knows to be dead.

He hears the king then, asking where she is and for only a second has he turned away, but that's all it takes for her to vanish.

Later, when the King is in court rejoicing at the wolfs death, something happens. No one knows how, but the Kings head seems to, just fall off his shoulders mid laugh. No else see's the girls figure standing there. When she turns to him, Sandor's hand reaches for his sword, but he'd had no need to wield it, for she speaks only once to him before once again vanishing.

"The North Remembers."

He thinks it fitting, that the little bird became a wolf in death.

* * *

Rickon knows who he heard that day, he knows that it was Father that spoke to him in the tunnels where the Kings of Old slept. He's been told many times not to venture down into the crypts, but now there is no one here to stop him. He hadn't been going to venture down there, but then he'd heard it, his sister singing.

"Sansa!" He'd called from the entrance with Shaggydog by his side.

There was no answer, but the singing still carried from somewhere down inside tunnels. Double-checking to make sure no one was observing he ventured down, his hand entangled with Shaggy's fur. It was dark, only a few of the candles were lit. The singing no matter how much he followed it always seemed to move further away when he neared.

"Sansa," He called once again. "I'm tired of playing this game, come out."

Suddenly from behind a hand reached out and gripped his shoulder. He jumped, causing Shaggydog to turn and growl at the person who had grabbed him.

"You shouldn't be down here, Little Lord," Osha says, her eye's searching the darkness up ahead as the singing continues on without pause.

"But, Sansa returned home." Rickon tries to tell her. It's Sansa singing, he knows it is.

"Your Sister hasn't returned." Osha voice is soft. Her eye's, when they meet his own are filled with sadness and regret.

The singing is no longer heard, but Rickon swears that as Osha leads him back out of the crypts that he see's Sansa standing next to the statue of his aunt.

Sansa smiles at him, but she looks so sad. He's about to tell Osha that his sister did come back, yet Osha seems to sense that there is someone behind them and turns to see his sister for herself.

Her grip on him tightens. Her eyes are wide as she stares at the girl before her. The girl whom she'd been told is dead. The person before them isn't made of human flesh, she appears translucent, her figure seeming to create light to chase away the darkness.

"Please," Her voice sends chills down Osha's spine. "Stay here until it is safe."

From the darkness, a wolf appears. It's the little lady's wolf Osha knows.

Shaggydog whines at the sight of his sister.

Osha can only nod, as the lady and wolf seem to float past her towards the entrance of the crypts. Rickon tries to follow but she holds him in place.

"It's best not to get in the way of the dead, Little Lord. Your sister has unfinished business to take care of, best leave her be."

Rickon looks from Osha to the ghostly figure of his sister as she climbs the steps with Lady at her side.

"She'll come back." He says, knowing that his sister would come back for him, she had too.

She hadn't come back, but she had lead Bran, Hodor, and Summer into the crypts for safe keeping.

* * *

Catelyn understood the moment the music changed that something was amiss. There was no time to react thou, and suddenly she was watching as her boy, her firstborn was being shot full of arrows.

She did the only thing she could and grabbed a Frey girl, knife ready to slice the girls throat.

She begged, begged that her boy is allowed to walk away in exchange for her life. She'd give up her life to save her last child.

She'd been unable to save her girls, and now her youngest children are also lost to her. Robb is all she has left, and if she can save him, she'll gladly give her own life in return.

It was as Roose Bolton walks up to Robb that she knows she's lost, lost everything that she had once held so dear.

"The Lannisters send their regards."

There is a flicker of light, and Catelyn will swear by the seven that even Roose Bolton froze at the sight that loomed before them.

She's older, her hair falling unbound down her back, her hair appears even redder than the last time Cat saw it. It's Sansa, she knows her girl anywhere. Her beautiful girl stands between Robb and his death and Cat can't find it in her to blink, for fear that the image of her beautiful girl disappears.

"Sansa?" Robb whispers.

When Sansa speaks Cat's heart bleeds for her poor daughter.

"Winter is coming!" Sansa's voice is melodious, still that of a girl who believes in fairytales, but Cat quickly realizes that is not the case when the next words leave her sweet girls lips. "But none of you shall be here to witness it. Kill them all!"

The room which had been silent is suddenly pierced by the cries of people around them, vicious growls echo across the room. A wolf cloaked in the same light as Sansa, tears the men apart. She's never seen Greywind in battle, but Cat is sure that this is what the wolf must look like when on the attack.

Those loyal to Robb quickly bend at the knee, as they watch the wolf tear apart the Frey's and traitors of the north.

They seem deathly afraid of her daughter, who has taken hold of Roose Bolton's hand which has the knife in it.

"The North remembers!" Sansa whispers leaning in, and although Cat can't see Sansa face, she can see the fear in Bolton's eyes. The cries for mercy have fallen quite, and now only one traitor stands in the mists.

The girl whom she'd held at knife point makes a run for it. She doesn't get far before Lady is upon her and Cat watches in fascination as the wolf shows the girl no mercy. When she turns back to Sansa she finds that Bolton has been forced to his knees before her, with Sansa gripping him.

Her eye's meet those of her daughters for the first time in what feels like forever. Sansa is pale, much paler than she'd been the last time they were together. The hair she'd once brushed tenderly seems to float about behind her like a fire.

"Mother," Sansa speaks and Cat wants to say so many things and yet not a word will leave her. Sansa holds out the knife then, the one Roose would have used to end her son's life. "Family, Duty, Honor."

Catelyn Stark takes the knife, trying not to cry at the feeling of her daughter's deathly cold hand. For her 'family', she will wield the knife that would have taken her son's life. It is her 'duty' as a mother to see to the death of those that would harm her children and because Sansa would offer her the 'honor' of killing the man would have taken her last living child. It is with these thoughts running through her mind that Catelyn plunges the knife into Roose Bolton's heart.

"Someone, fetch a Maester! The King is injured." Someone shouts.

She'd been so lost in watching the life drain from the traitor's eye's that she's missed Robb dropping to the ground. When she looks up Sansa is gone, but a hand pushes her forward from behind.

"Take care of Robb." Sansa's voice whispers and Catelyn can do nothing but obey her daughter words. Rushing to make sure that her last child lives, and to fulfill the last request her daughter asks her.

* * *

It's as Jon's climbing the wall that he feels it, well, that's not exactly true. He's felt it for quite some time now. The feeling that someone is watching him. He's woken up a number of times to a figure standing guard over him, only to disappear when he realizes that Ygritte's is still asleep next to him.

The person has long flowing red hair, darker than Ygritte's, but he's sure that he's seen it before somewhere. It's a girl, with skin as pale as the snow that surrounds them. Ghost seems to know her, for Jon has caught his wolf sitting next to her on a number of occasions before she vanishes from sight.

The free folks have taken notice of her also, saying that the God's tree has taken on a human form and is watching over them.

"You said you followed the old Gods, Snow," Tormund said moments before they were to climb the wall. "Ask that spirit that follows you to make sure we make it over the wall, won't you?" He'd said it as a joke, but Jon could see he was serious about it too.

While they climbed, Jon couldn't help but pray for exactly that. The higher they climbed the colder the air around them became, his finger feeling numb as he pulled himself higher.

There was a crack from just below him, and then he heard it. The ice splitting opening and falling, pulling any who it could with it down with it. His own hooks slid from the ice which tried to pull him down with it, but thankfully he was held by the rope.

Orell was above shouting about cutting the rope. Jon's heart seized knowing that if he didn't find a way to save them quickly then he and Ygritte would meet their end soon.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her, standing on a ledge, hand reaching out towards him. Her mouth silently calling out his name.

Swinging himself towards where she was reaching out, his heart gave a jolt as he felt the rope began to give way. Just when he thought that they were going to fall her hand caught his, bring him safely to the ledge.

He forced himself back against the wall as Ygritte's weight tried to pull him with her. When Ygritte got her grip, Jon started pulling at the rope to haul her up. As he pulled another set of hands joined his on the rope. When he looked to see whose hands they belonged to he felt his breath catch.

Sansa, the girl who had grown up as his sister, stood next to him helping pull the rope. She was older than the last time he'd seen her, more beautiful than ever. It was as Ygritte climbed up to stand next to him, that Sansa vanished with the breeze, a smile gracing her lips.

Hew couldn't find any words to speak until they were safely over the wall. It was when they'd made camp did anyone bother to bring up the spirit.

"I saw that spirit of yours came in handy, Snow." Orell sneered, poking at the fire. "Too bad it couldn't save any of the others."

No one else bothered to comment, but Jon could feel their stares. Later, when most had bedded down for the night, he felt Ygritte's hand on his shoulder. He was going to tell her that he didn't want to talk about what had happened back on the wall, only, when he looked up Ygritte's gaze was locked on something else.

"Sansa!" Her name left his lips in surprise as he shot to his feet. Her figure was cloaked in light, and Jon thought that she was a beckon of light to anyone who'd look in their direction.

"Stark!" It had been so long since he heard her voice, it brought a smile to his lips before her words registered and he frowned sadly.

"I'm not a Stark." It hurt to say, but it was true.

She offers him a smile, the light around her growing stronger. She reminds him of a star at that moment. Shining brightly in the darkness, as she speaks words that he's forever longed to hear. "You are to me."

* * *

Robb knows that they tell tales about his sister. The Red wolf, they call her, but she'll always be Sansa to him. The sister he failed to protect, the sister who he couldn't save, the sister who he betrayed.

His mother still tells the tale of how Sansa came back from the dead to save him, but he has a feeling that Sansa didn't come back for him. No, if she came to save anyone, it was their mother.

She appeared to everyone but himself.

He heard from Bran that she'd lured Rickon into the crypts before Winterfell went up in flames. She'd lead Bran safety to the God Tree beyond the wall. She'd saved Jon while he was climbing the wall with his wildling friends. He knows that it was her who brought Arya back to them from across the sea, and the night she appeared to stop Roose Bolten killing him, he knew she'd come for their mother.

He knows that she's come to say goodbye to the rest of his family, having sent Arya to retrieve her bones from where they'd been hidden. He'd received a raven telling him that they'd found her bones, and were returning to lay her bones to rest beneath Winterfell.

Arya wrote that the hound had stolen her bones and hid them away. His stomach twisted in unease when he read that she'd even appeared to the dog, and yet not once had she come to him.

He still dreams of that night, he still calls out to her but she never turns, she never answers, she only gives him a view of her back. He doesn't get the see the smile which she's graced everyone else with, nor hear her voice as she calls their names.

When the day comes to finally lay her bones to rest, Robb tells his family he shall do it alone. They protest of course, but Robb won't back down. So, down into the crypts, he wondered, the candles lighting his way until he reaches the statue which has been made in her like.

The tomb is open, not yet sealed until Robb has done so himself.

Bones. Bones are all that is left of his once beautiful sister. She'll never grow old, nor have children. She'll never taste the lemon cakes that she'd loved so much ever again. She'll never change out of that gown she's always seen in, forever stuck in a southern dress. He's told that she still sings, and yet her voice has never once reached his ears.

"Sansa," He whispered hours after having entered the crypts. His hand reaching to brush against her cheek. The stone cold under his fingertips. "Please, Sansa. Speak to me."

It was the panting of her wolf he heard first, followed closely by the sound of a dress swishing as she walked closer. He turned and for the first time in years, he was able to lay his eye's upon her. Sansa and Lady walked side by side, glowing more brightly than any of the lit candles.

She was as he remembered, and he was finally able to gaze upon her face. He was older, no longer the boy that had seen her off, but she was still very much the girl that he'd let go.

Her silence hurt more the anything. "Please, say something." He begged, falling to his knee's before her.

"What do you seek from me?"

"Forgiveness."

"I don't blame you for my death, so you need not ask for forgiveness."

"Then why? Why haven't you come for me? Why do I feel like I'm being punished?" He's begging on his knee's and yet he feels no shame. A king should never kneel expect to a Queen. Sansa is the North Queen far more than his own wife had ever been.

Sansa doesn't answer, just continues to gaze at him with the same eye's that mirror his own.

"Be angry, feel something towards me. Please!" He shouts standing. "I left you, abandoned you, betrayed you." He rushed towards her, hands reaching for her shoulder to shake her but he passes right through her, her coldness washing over him as he does so.

"The dead can touch the living, but the living shall never again touch the dead." She says as she turns to face him.

Robbs eye's lock on the floor. Not sure what else there is to say.

Sansa's cold hand tips his chin up so that their eye's lock.

"You'll alway be my hero."

"But I couldn't save you." He said regrettably.

"No, you didn't, but you still tried."

"This is goodbye, isn't it?"

Sansa smiles, it's the smile he's been waiting years to see, but it brings him nothing but pain.

Her hand is cold as it presses against his cheek.

"I've been dead for a long, long time. Please, Robb. Let me go."

"I can't, don't leave." He reached for her hand, but like before it slipped through.

"I've stayed here far longer than I should, and," She paused as she moved away to stand with Lady, Her hand reaching down to brush her finger's through the wolf's fur. "Father is waiting for me."

He sucked in a ragged breath as tears gathered in his eye's. He pushed at the stone which lay atop her tomb until it closed over where her bones had been placed. His tears flowed freely now, knowing that this would truly be the last time he saw his beloved sister.

"Robb!" Her soft voice called and he turned in time to see her fading hand reach out to him. "I have to go, but we'll meet again one day." She promised tears having gathered in her own eyes as she spoke.

He reached out then, hoping against hope that he might feel her warmth one last time before she went, and to his surprise, his hand actually grasped hers.

"Until we meet again then." He promised in return.

* * *

Thanks for reading.


End file.
